The International Maritime Organization (IMO) will open a regional presence office (RPO) in Alexandria, Egypt, to represent the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
The office is set to open by the end of the year and is a result of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the IMO and Egypt earlier this month. Objectives of the MoU include improving institutional capacity-building and the general maritime development in the MENA region; and strengthening self-reliance in the maritime field at national, subregional and regional levels. It should also enhance the implementation of the IMO Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP) for the Arab States in the MENA region, taking into consideration the mandates of existing regional entities.
The Alexandria office expands IMO’s network of RPOs, which includes offices in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana for west and central Africa; Kenya for eastern and southern Africa; and the Philippines for East Asia.
In addition, IMO’s regional presence in the Caribbean will be boosted with an RPO located in Trinidad and Tobago later this year. Currently, the Caribbean region is supported by a regional coordinator located in the Port of Spain.
